Metal & Magic
by ELark
Summary: Loki turns to Tony Stark for help with a very special task. Hilarity and eventual romance ensue.
1. Chapter 1

_****__**SUMMARY: **__Loki turns to Tony Stark for help with a very special task. Hilarity and eventual romance ensue._

**_DISCLAIMER:_ **_I do not own anything in this story; all rights to Marvel and Disney and all that fun stuff. I'm just a fan :)_

_**WARNINGS:** Avengers Movie-verse Spoilers, M/M Slash, FrostIron, Angst_

_**A/N: **This is my first fic on here, so please be gentle. It's based off of a role-play between myself and my friend. Enjoy!_

**Metal & Magic**

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_A/N: This chapter has been re-written in an effort to make it flow a little better than it did before._

**Chapter One**

Loki paced back and forth in his room. He had been doing that a lot lately since Odin fell into the Odinsleep. Frigga was dead and Thor thought Loki to be with her as well, or in Hel, which place wasn't quite his concern. It's not like he cared much of what his 'brother' thought of him now anyway; he was supposed to be dead, afterall. It had been a few years since the incident in Midgard and Loki was getting restless. While he could disguise himself as anyone he wished, the toll a spell like that would take on him would be too taxing. He sighed in frustration and took a deep breath to calm himself. His mind fluttered off to a distant memory of that dreadful day in New York. He was in that mortal, Stark's, tower and the man had offered him a drink despite the chaos going on around them. Loki had been impressed with his demeanor that day, and despite the fact that he had defenestrated him and Loki had been beaten into the floor by the Green Beast, Loki had been dying to know what kept Stark so calm. 'Maybe I should pay that mortal a visit,' he thought to himself, a quick gleam dancing across his eye as a dangerous smirk formed on his lips. He gathered some things he deemed necessary for the trip to Midgard and teleported himself away to one of the unknown portals of the Yggdrasil. He arrived in the same spot as he had stood several years prior in the tower of Tony Stark.

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Tony was busy in his makeshift workshop tinkering with an upgrade to the Mark VIII when JARVIS suddenly cut in, interrupting his focus.

"Sir, you have an uninvited guest, one Mr. Laufeyson. Should I contact S.H.I.E.L.D?"

Tony looked up from the piece he had been working with, "Hold off on that JARV, let's see what Loki is up to this time. Get the Mark VII ready just in case, though."

"Very well sir."

Tony donned the bracelets that would call the suit to him and headed out to meet the "bag of cats" crazed God of Mischief, as Bruce had so eloquently put it. "Long time no see Reindeer Games, I suppose you want that drink now?" Tony walked over to his bar to make himself a scotch on the rocks, only to realize he was out of ice. 'Ok then, so no rocks,' Tony thought.

Loki blinked mindlessly as Stark greeted him, seeming mildly impressed that the mortal hadn't attempted to attack him or call those annoying S.H.I.E.L.D. agents upon his arrival. He had opted for a more low-key appearance this time, and had arrived sans-armor and instead donned his usual black leather pants and a dark green belted-tunic. "I see you have developed the ability to read minds, Stark," he said with his usual tone of nonchalance. He flashed the mortal a shark-like grin and slowly walked over towards the bar to join the Man of Iron. "Yes, I'll have that drink now."

"Nah, no reading minds, you just seem the type to always take up on something that has been offered. You aren't trying to kill me right now, so why should I try to kill you?" Tony couldn't help but notice that Loki wasn't wearing the goat-like armor, but had no doubt it could be covering the god in a fraction of a second. He wasn't sure if that made him feel better about the current situation or not, so he began talking to take some of the tension out of the room. "So, what brings you to my not so humble abode this time? Scotch?" He started pouring their drinks without really waiting for Loki to answer. Tony had figured that he would be drinking more than one; it was going to be a long day by the looks of things.

Loki remained silent as he sat down across from the man, taking the glass he was offered. He wasn't worried about any mortal poisons in the event that Stark had in fact put something in his drink. Loki took a swig of the liquor, swishing it around in his glass before setting it back down upon the bar-top. "You certainly have plenty of reason to try, but whether you'd succeed or not is still yet to be determined," he drawled, looking back at his glass. "As for my presence and what brings me here, I am not ready to divulge that information as of yet, Stark."

Tony downed the amber liquid in the tumbler in one gulp. "Would you like another? Oh, if we're to discuss the finer points of who would beat who... well it depends, really. I have a few tricks up my sleeve now," he stated as he began pouring himself another drink before waiting to pour Loki's second glass.

"I guarantee that I have more tricks up mine," Loki replied coyly, nodding at the offer of a second drink.

Tony topped off Loki's tumbler with more scotch and sat it back down in front of the God. "So, I want to put this out there now: I'm sorry about your mom. Trust me, I know what it's like to lose a parent that you love." Tony raised his glass in a toast. "To good moms."

Loki raised his glass to drink, pausing slightly at the mention of his mother. He nodded as Stark toasted before taking another swig. "I assume that Thor told you what happened, then? And about how I am supposed to be dead as well?" He sat the glass back down and stared at Tony, waiting for a reply.

Tony walked around the bar and headed to the couch, flopping down with little grace. "Yeah, Thor came by shortly after everything happened. He looked like a kicked puppy, too, told us that your mom had been killed and that you had given your life in defense of the realm and had died with honor." To make sure Loki knew he wasn't being sarcastic, he began again. "I don't doubt that you did, minus the actual dying part of course, but like I said, I know what it's like. I didn't think for a second you were dead, however. You are a bit too tricky for that, and doesn't Thor always fall for your doubles?" Tony studied Loki intently; God of Mischief or not, Tony had learned one thing- no matter how good the poker face, talking about a beloved mother's death brought about pain unlike any other.

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_A/N: Reviews/Comments/Critiques always welcome (just be nice!) :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: This chapter is a bit longer than the first; it has been re-written in an effort to make it flow better than it originally did. I hope you all enjoy it and thanks for reading!_

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**Chapter Two**

Loki watched as Stark walked around the bar and reclined back on the couch. He decided to remain where he was at the bar. Opting to ignore some of the comments, Loki sighed briefly. "I am not surprised at Thor's antics, though I am surprised and somewhat impressed that you would assume that I was indeed alive and well. And while the big oaf has yet to see through my doubles, that party trick was not how I faked my death," the god replied, matching Tony's gaze. "I've gotten stronger in ways you cannot even perceive, Stark," he said proudly.

"Well, I do have to admit, it's one hell of a party trick. Actually, I sorta copied it, just you know, with 'Midguardian technology' and not your fancy magic... which by the way, I'd love to know how that stuff works," he said, setting his drink down.

Loki chuckled slightly and relaxed just a bit. He hadn't realized how uptight he had been upon his arrival. "Someone of your intelligence may be able to comprehend the science behind magic; they're one in the same, really. You mortals are not equipped to handle the finer points of my craft however."

Shrugging, Tony replied. "Maybe, maybe not. According to our history, or rather our myths and legends, you know like that Norse stuff and the like- that all turned out to be true. Earth has had quite a few powerful wizards, mages, warlocks...whatever the hell you wanna call them."

"I am well aware of Earth's history, having been here to witness several events myself," Loki stated matter-of-factly.

Tony looked down at the table and noticed his Stark Tablet sitting on it. He picked it up and began to fiddle with it before he sat it back down, gently shoving it in Loki's direction. "Take a look at what I just pulled up, you may actually be proud of that." Kicking back and relaxing again, he waited for Loki to pick up the device. "My plans just seem to be a bit more tangible than your hocus pocus stuff."

Loki got up and walked over to where Stark was sitting on the couch and picked up the tablet, flipping through the screens with swipes of his finger. They showed various diagrams of his different suits, prototypes and all. Loki noticed that Stark had enough designs for a small army. "Impressive, Stark, I will give you that," he mused, taking a seat in a chair nearby the couch Stark was on.

Tony sat forward a bit, smiling. "Thanks Prancer. I have a feeling that when you say 'impressive', you really mean it, since, well, you know...god versus puny mortal and all that jazz..." He gestured with his hands as he spoke. "If magic and technology are, as you said, really one in the same, is that what was up with the whole 'performance issues' thing?" Tony held his hands up in mock-surrender in preparation for negative behavior on Loki's behalf. "Just asking out of curiosity Prancer, please don't throw me out of my window again."

Loki chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he recalled the little spell he had placed upon the mortal a few years back. "I have no desire to throw you out the window again, Stark, I assure you. And as for those 'performance issues,'" he chuckled again, a slight gleam dancing across his eyes, "Are you still having issues with that?"

Tony had lifted what was left of his drink to his mouth in order to finish it, but instead did something he hadn't done since his first taste of the stuff- he choked on it. "What?! You did that to me?! Why would you do that?! Do you know how many hook-ups and relationships you ruined for me because of your twisted game?! You are a real bastard, you know that? And here I was actually starting to like you..." Tony muttered something under his breath about rather being thrown out of a window now than dealing with that little spell.

Loki raised an eyebrow and actually laughed. "I may or may not have been behind that little stunt, yes..." he said, still chuckling, leaning forward in his chair.

"That's not cool man, messing with a guys mojo like that. It cost me my relationship with Pepper. That was retaliation for the performance issues quip I made before you defenestrated me?" Tony put his head in his hands, "Well, that explains why the hell I kept thinking about you. Damn, this sucks."

The God of Mischief gave Tony quite the look when he heard that the man had kept thinking about him. "I left that much of an impression on you, Stark?" he asked earnestly. "I don't know if I should be honored or repulsed," he said with another smirk.

Tony couldn't help but grin right back. "Don't take it that way, Bambi. I meant since you now know that I have no game, and now that I know it was because of you, well, I had a lot more time on my hands to tinker with things. You know, like how to take down full-tilt divas like yourself that try to take over my tower, and let's not forget about destroying half of New York City. By the way, I really, really don't like it when people take or touch my things. So yeah, I've been a bit busy no thanks to you."

"So sue me, Stark," Loki said coyly, a smirk plastered on his face. He sat back in his chair and crossed his legs as he picked up his glass of scotch and finished the rest of it. "May I have another?"

Getting up and collecting both tumblers, Tony replied with a simple 'yeah.' He turned and walked backwards for a moment as he spoke. "You know what, don't tempt me, I very well could sue you. I do have a great team of lawyers, after all."

"And I'm a god, Stark," he called out over his shoulder at the mortal. He relaxed a bit more and waited for the man to return with his drink. If Stark had wanted to do something to him, he would have by now, Loki knew that much. He was still alert, but not nearly as on-edge. Besides, this time was different; this time, he was in control and had more magic than he had during his last encounter with Stark. This time was going much better.

Tony walked behind the bar to grab another bottle of scotch. "Maybe, maybe not, but you can still be sued," he said, flashing his trademark cheeky Stark grin.

"I could lie my way out of it," he mused. "Silvertongue, you know..." He threw him one of his shark-like grins.

Tony couldn't help but grin as he took a sip of his drink from behind the bar. "You may have a silvertongue, but you haven't met my lawyers yet. There is a reason I can get out of any trouble that comes my way." The billionaire threw the god a wink and took yet another drink from his glass before speaking again. "So tell me, how many of those legends about you and Thor are true? They sound like there's several awesome stories there."

"There's too many stories to recount, but if you really want to know, I suggest you ask him. Though I'm positive that he'll never tell the legends like I would- Thor always paints himself in shrouds of glory while I always got cast to the shadows," Loki said, his tone getting slightly bitter as he continued to talk. He took a breath before continuing. "Alas, this last adventure was certainly our most 'brotherly' if you will," he continued, fixing one of the wrinkles in his tunic.

Looking around at anything and everything but the god, Tony decided to ignore the bitterness in Loki's voice. "Yeah, but I'm not asking Point Break, I'm asking you." He walked back over to the chair where Loki was seated and handed Loki a tumbler that was full to the brim with more scotch. "I've heard him tell stories, it's all, 'honor this, glory that', but it's not what really happened, it's embellished."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you, Stark," he grinned. "You and I are a lot alike." He raised his glass towards the man and smiled. "Cheers," he said, taking a drink.

Their conversation was interrupted as JARVIS began to speak. "Sir, a very angry Director Fury is on the line, " came the voice of the AI above them both. Tony wasted no time in responding.

"Ignore it Jarv. Follow the standard protocol."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Does Fury know I'm here?" he asked, a sense of urgency in his voice.

"No Mr. Laufeyson, Director Fury does not know you are here," came JARVIS' reply. "But I certainly could inform him of your presence; shall I?"

Tony couldn't help it, he started to snicker. "Good one Jarv, but no, do not tell Fury."

Loki's eyes widened a little when the AI offered to tell Fury of his presence, but Stark put an end to it immediately, much to his relief. "It's kind of hard to go after someone who's dead, I suppose," he said as he looked back at Stark.

Tony's tone turned serious as he spoke his next command to the AI, looking Loki in the eye as he did so. "Under no circumstance is S.H.I.E.L.D. allowed to know that Loki Laufeyson is here, understood?"

"Very well, Sir. Shall I order dinner for you instead? Miss Potts has made it quite clear that you are to eat."

"Yeah sure, order some of that shwarma stuff," he said before looking back at Loki. "Calm down Bambi. The big bad pirate isn't after you. In fact, he's pissed at me again. As usual, I should say," he said as he shrugged it off. Tony looked down into his drink and frowned, thinking of something before speaking again. "Honestly, there's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. You and I really are a lot alike; we just went down different paths."

"What did you do to piss him off this time, Stark?" Loki was genuinely curious, but he feigned his interest. He decided to ignore the last part of Stark's statement.

Tony's trademark grin was back. "Oh, I may have hacked S.H.I.E.L.D. again... that and I refused to fund some project or another. I don't like what he had planned for Brucie, either." He held up up a hand to quiet Loki's protest at the mention of Bruce Banner, though Loki knew him better as the Hulk. "I know you don't care for his alter-ego much, but Bruce? He's a good guy, he really is. Thing is, I don't agree with much of what S.H.I.E.L.D. does, yet they constantly want me to fund them, their weapons, tech, and everything else. They think that because I help them with Iron Man that they can just dictate what I can and cannot do. Nope. That's not how I play."

Loki couldn't help but chuckle. "You only play nice when it's convenient for you, is that it, Stark?"

"Pretty much," came the genius' reply.

Loki took another sip from his glass before setting it down on the table next to him and leaning forward toward Stark. "How exactly do you play, then?" he asked, a glint in his eye and a bit of an edge to his voice.

Tony matched the look effortlessly. "I usually play by my own rules. You have your baggage and so do I." Sitting forward a bit to set his own glass down, he continued. "I don't play fair that's for sure. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me and all that stuff," he stated, gesturing around as he spoke. "This," he said, gesturing once more to himself and Loki, "this right here is by my own rules, and why JARVIS hasn't turned you over to the bastards at S.H.I.E.L.D. It's because I simply don't want to- unless you toss me out of my window again, then all bets are off."

"A lot alike indeed," he mused happily, almost purring as he thought back to what the man had said earlier about their similarities. He held Stark's glaze for a lingering moment before reclining back into the chair. "I've already assured you Stark that I will not be throwing you out of your window again, so you can relax." He gave the billionaire a wink as he took another sip of his alcohol.

Without missing a beat, Tony jumped up off of the couch. "Can I get that in writing?"

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_A/N: Please review/comment/critique! Thanks for reading!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: **Chapters 1 and 2 have been re-written so that they flow better, so if you read the original versions, please go back and re-read them.** Also, thank you all so much for the reviews! And to those of you who have favorited, you all have made me so happy ^_^ Enjoy Chapter 3!_

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**Chapter Three**

Getting up and going to a desk like area, Tony brought back a pen and paper and started writing. "Jarv, you're recording this right?"

"Yes, Sir," came the AI's reply.

Tony smiled. "Good. Here Lokes, sign on the dotted line. Look, I even drew the line for you," he said. The man was giddy, almost like a kid in the candy store, as he waited for Loki to sign the agreement.

"Aren't you charming," Loki said dryly, standing up to walk over to the desk where Stark stood. He leaned over to sign the paper, humoring the human.

Once Loki had signed it, Tony told JARVIS to scan the document into his system and store it on his private server. "So you never did tell me, if you aren't here to conquer the world again, just what does bring you to Ear-...er, Midgard? Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, for the record, you totally tried taking over the world the wrong way."

Loki rolled his eyes and stood there, arms crossed. "I will get to why I am here in time, Stark. And 'for the record,' I wasn't actually attempting to take over Midgard. The Chitauri needed a leader and I simply lead them to failure on purpose. It was more of an act of defiance than anything else, but that's a story for another day."

Tony looked up, a look of shock blatantly apparent upon his face. "Really? Wow, that's... quite the rebellious nature there," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I definitely want to hear that story, and soon."

"You have no idea how rebellious I can be, Stark," the god said with a glint in his eye once more.

JARVIS interrupted again. "Sir, your food is here. I took the liberty of ordering for Mr. Laufeyson as well."

"Thanks Jarv. What would I do without you?"

"You would starve, Sir."

Tony just muttered under his breath a bit about how he'd have to tone down his AI's sarcasm before he turned back to his guest. "Ever had shawarma before?"

Loki turned back to go and reclaim his seat while Stark grabbed their food. "The first and last time I ever even heard of that mortal food, I had a muzzle on my face and was chained at the hands and feet," he said with an air of bitterness. Loki decided to change the subject to one of a more appropriate nature, given the circumstances. "I suppose I should say thank you to you and your JARVIS for not turning me in to your Director as well as for the hospitality you have shown me; you have my thanks, Stark."

Tony retrieved the bags of food and sat them on the bar's counter, nodding his approval. "Don't mention it. You know that came from Asgard or something, that muzzle they had you wear? Damn thing was down right nasty inside. I was ordered to make it, well, You-proof. It seemed pretty brutal and Medieval to me, so I did what I do best. I made it better, more humane though. Spikes that would have gone into your lips and gums and even maybe into your jawbone... not cool in my book, and also not my style. Same with the chains. I may or may not have tampered with them a bit. Even a prisoner has rights, you know." Tony opened up the bag and began to divvy out the food containers that were inside. "So at least they weren't painful. You should just have asked for my lawyers." Tony finished dividing the food up for them both before looking up and winking at Loki.

"Well then, perhaps I should have to thank you properly, Stark," Loki said, returning the wink.

Before he could take a bite, Tony countered. "Owed a proper thanks from the God of Mischief? I think I'll like that." Tony grinned as he opened up his food and began to eat.

The look on Loki's face was pure mischief alright, and it was a look he wore proudly. "You will like it, I can promise you that, Stark." He gave the human a smirk before taking a bite of his food.

"So, what do you think of our Midgardian fare?" Tony took a few bites before he got up to grab himself and Loki a non-alcoholic drink. "Here," he said as he handed Loki a can of soda.

"It's certainly flavorful," he said after swallowing a bite. He took the soda and watched as Stark opened his own can before attempting to open the one he was just given. The can made a satisfying 'pop' sound once opened, and Loki smiled a bit at the sound. Midgardians and their inventions…

Now knowing Loki had never had soda before, Tony held in the inevitable snicker and waited for Loki's reaction. The carbonation was usually an interesting experience for the first timer.

Loki took a sip of the beverage and fought to not make a face. He swallowed the carbonated drink and set the can back upon the bar-top. "That... was interesting," he said as he glance back at Stark.

Tony couldn't help it, he tilted his head back and laughed. "Oh, that never gets tiring. Once you get past the bubbles, the taste is pretty good. Plus it hits the spot on a nice, hot day."

Loki scoffed as Stark laughed. "You are either very brave or very foolish to prank the God of Mischief, Stark," he leered. He licked his lips and took a bite of food before taking another sip of the soda. "Though I do agree that the taste is somewhat pleasant."

Tony's eyes sparkled in amusement. Shrugging after finishing another bite, Tony continued their conversation. "Well, if you can't prank the God of Mischief, then who the hell can you prank? Besides, who doesn't like a harmless prank? Well, maybe not when it happens to you but later you can laugh about it," he said with a smile and a shrug. Returning to his own meal but watching Loki out of the corner of his eye, he continued. "Plus, watching people try new things is always an interesting and usually an entertaining pastime of mine. Their facial expressions are typically quite funny, and in a way unguarded," he explained as he took a generous drink of his own. For once, it wasn't alcohol. God knows Pepper had been on him to slow down his drinking habits.

Loki sat silently for a moment and was extremely careful to keep his face devoid of any emotion, less he make one of those funny facial expressions Stark had mentioned. After a few more bites and increasingly more tolerable sips of the beverage, he cleared his throat. "I suppose you would like to know why it is that I have graced you with my presence, Anthony Stark." The god turned towards the mortal, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Looking into Loki's eyes and seeing that telltale glint in them, Tony couldn't help but feel like a lamb being led to slaughter. "Oh, finally feel like telling me there, Bambi?"

He chuckled and stood up to begin walking in a large circle around where they were sitting. "Perhaps, Stark, though I could always drag it out longer if you'd like; you certainly don't seem to be in too big of a rush to spend your time elsewhere in the company of someone else," he stated, giving Tony a pointed look laced with something else behind those green eyes of his. "Now, I have come here to ask for your assistance, Stark; I have need of your skill set, and am not yet too proud to acknowledge it." Loki paused for a slight dramatic effect as he continued to walk around like a panther stalking its prey. "I will not reveal the nature of the task at hand until you agree to help me, or decline, though I must say you'd be very unwise to deny me, Stark."

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_A/N: Reviews are always welcome! I'll try to have another chapter up tomorrow._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Having Loki prowl around didn't bother Tony as much as he thought it should have. Tony figured that the guy hadn't tried to kill him yet, and they both knew that if he wanted to he'd be out that window again in a flash, agreement be damned. Sitting back in his chair, Tony took his time responding; he wasn't just an inventor, he was also a businessman, and he knew how to play things out. Granted, he had never played business mogul with a half-crazed, self-proclaimed god, however. Tony waited until Loki was in front of him once again before speaking. "Your hocus pocus not up to the task this time?" He sighed, shrugging as he gave his answer. "It could be fun, I guess, and I like fun. Sure, why the hell not; the bonus is that it would probably also piss Fury off." Smirking, he pressed his hands together. "Pissing off Fury is a little hobby of mine."

Loki gave Tony a shark-like grin, his eyes shining like emeralds as he did so. "Excellent choice, Stark." He sat back down in front of the billionaire, crossing his legs and interlacing his fingers. "Now that I have your consent to assist me, I will tell you what it is I require. I need someone of your intelligent caliber to help me create a device that would mimic the Tesseract; before you protest, I assure you that I will not be using it for domination, but instead, as a distraction. I am positive that Fury would be absolutely livid if he found out you were assisting me in this manner."

Staying relaxed as Loki sat back down, he kept his face neutral as he was told exactly what Loki wanted. "Ok, if I'm gonna make this, and I will make it, don't doubt that, I have a few questions. Why do you want it so badly then if not to conquer this world? What guarantees do I have that A- you won't try and kill me later, B- that you understand this may take some time, and C- that I won't regret doing this? If I am gonna make you the equivalent of an all powerful artifact, then those are my terms. In return, if this isn't something that is harmful for the inhabitants of this world then you have my guarantee that I won't run off and tell the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D. That goes for JARVIS too." Tony leaned forward a bit to take another swig of his drink. "So Loki, do we have an accord?"

Loki mulled everything over in his head before extending his hand to Tony. "We do indeed have an accord, Stark. And you have my word that I will not attempt to kill you- I admire intelligence and yours rivals my own. I could never kill someone like that. You will have your time, and I will see to it that you will not regret this decision. As to the reason behind my need for a mock Tesseract, I have need to throw certain beings off of my trail, if you catch my drift. "

Tony shook Loki's hand, clasping it in a firm grasp. He had just made a deal with the God of Mischief; Pepper would kill him if she found out. Standing up, Tony walked over to the bar and sat his glass down on the counter. He had long since lost count on how many drinks the two of them had shared, but knew it was enough to kill a bottle of seventy year old scotch. He would blame the alcohol for this deal of his if anything went sour, providing he survived to tell the tale, of course.

"You know, you're really lucky to have me, Rudolph. I had JARVIS keep a copy of the files detailing everything that happened with the Tesseract on my private server. I actually have quite a lot of data on it, as well as all the crap you had Selvig install on my roof. I love you Jarv," he said, beaming up at one of the cameras in the corner of the room.

"The sentiment is returned, Sir," JARVIS responded smugly.

"I am indeed very lucky to have you, Stark," the god nearly purred, eyes gleaming as always.

"So, when do you wanna get started?" Tony turned to Loki with a grin, eager to begin his latest project.

"We can start whenever you wish, though obviously the sooner, the better. Perhaps I will indulge you with a tale or two while you work."

"Well, no time like the present, come on," Tony stated as he started walking towards the elevator that would take them down to his lab. The possibilities of picking a god's mind apart, intellectually of course, was making Tony giddy. He got inside the elevator and held the doors open for Loki to join him. "JARVIS, bring up file PoF83845SKMA."

"Right away, Sir."

Loki had to admire Stark's enthusiasm. He got up and strode across the living room towards the elevator and stepped inside. He watched as the doors closed in front of him and found himself standing extremely close to the billionaire without actually intending to, not that he minded, of course. "Where should I start, Stark?" he asked, subconsciously licking his lips.

Tony was seriously excited. He knew he shouldn't be, this was Loki after all, but he knew that he was probably the only person to ever have the opportunity to work with this kind of technology and theory. Sure, Tony had created a new element in Afghanistan but it had been a life-or-death situation; he didn't get the chance to enjoy the fruits of his labor. "How functional do you need it, I mean it's kinda obvious that you want a fake, but it needs to be a damn near-undetectable fake. Like you said you're trying to get someone off of your back. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that the guy you want off your case is the same person I probably royally pissed off with that nuke, huh?"

Loki listened as the man spoke about the fake Tesseract they would need to create in order to throw Thanos and The Other off of Loki's trail. "Your assumption is correct, Stark, and I would prefer if it was functional enough to pass as the real thing without actually being the fully-functional Tesseract. The Other and The Mad Titan need to be convinced that it is real, but do not need to wield its power." The god placed his hand upon Tony's shoulder as he spoke his next words. "This stays between us, got it?"

Tony stilled at the contact but gave Loki a sideways look. He put his hand up to his arc reactor. "Who would I tell anyway? JARVIS? He already knows. Well I may tell Dum-E..." Tony trailed off at that, suddenly remembering that Dum-E, U, and Butterfingers were under the ruins and rubble of his Malibu mansion, which was now in the Pacific ocean. Tony's excitement dimmed a bit. "Yeah, no worries Reindeer Games. Only people that will know, already do."

Loki cocked his head at Stark's sudden change in demeanor, a quizzical look upon his face. He let his hand linger for a moment longer before withdrawing it, letting it fall back to his side. "Are you alright, Stark?"

Glancing at Loki and giving him one of his winning-but-fake smiles, Tony replied. "Yeah, everything is cool. I just remembered that Dum-E and the rest aren't here."

"Dum-E?" the god asked, not sure who the mortal was talking about.

"Dum-E was my first creation, but some would have called him a failure. He messed up a lot, loved the fire extinguisher a bit too much, and had a nasty habit of dropping things, but he was my first AI...I guess you could say he was kinda like a child to me."

Loki's eyes darkened slightly as Stark spoke. "I'm sorry for your loss, Stark. I know of that pain," he said as he set his jaw.

Giving a sigh as he shrugged his shoulders, Tony continued. "Not much I can do really; like I said they are buried under tons of rubble underwater. It's really my fault though. Never, ever give your enemy your home address. Then again it's not overly hard to find my homes, is it?"

Loki smiled, chuckling a bit. "Your homes are never hard to distinguish, that much is certain, Stark. I certainly had no issues finding you," he said, his eyes glimmering with mischief.

"Thanks," Tony said, returning the grin. Sobering up once more, he looked the god in the eye again. "Though, I think this is personal to you too, yes? You've lost children, haven't you?" Tony tripped over himself a bit, biting his tongue as he realized that being alone in an elevator with a certain, and certainly dangerous, Loki Laufeyson probably wasn't the best time to be having this conversation. "I mean, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, I don't want to pry, but it helps a bit to commiserate with someone that knows your pain, you know?" He gave the god a small smile and hoped that green flames didn't shoot out from Loki's hands.

"My losses aren't truly gone as much as they aren't easily accessible to me," Loki replied curtly. He didn't feel like going into the specific details of how Odin stole Sleipnir from him, or how Jörmungand was trapped on the outskirts of Midgard, or how Fenrir was banished to the shadows, or how Hela was sentenced to the darkest realm of all in the Yggdrasil. He stood up straighter and waited for the elevator to stop.

"Huh, I guess you could say that's one more thing that we have in common, our 'kids' aren't accessible to us. Mine are under rubble in an ocean and yours are... wherever they are," he said, scratching his head as he spoke. "Well we have mythology that tells us where they are but I'm not so sure how accurate those stories are, to be honest." The rest of their ride was silent.

The elevator stopped then, having traveled from the penthouse to the lab. Once the elevator doors opened, Tony gestured for Loki to go first. "After you. Now let's get this show on the road." Tony walked out after Loki and headed to his desk, where a holograph of the Tesseract was waiting for him to examine. He picked it up and turned it around in his hand, as he had done countless times before. "So functional but not functional. Got it. Maybe it works briefly but fizzles out say, half way through a teleport?"

Loki took in the shop around him. The technology was unlike anything he had seen, but reminded him vaguely of the elven workshops in Alfheim. "Seeing how I am the only one who knows where the actual Tesseract is kept, I plan on using the real one for display of power and then swap it out with the mock device. If you can make it work for a moment, but not long enough to be successful in its endeavors, we may have a shot of getting The Other and The Mad Titan off of my ass," he said sourly.

Tony nodded, inspecting the holographic Tesseract for a moment longer, "Here, catch," he said as he tossed it at Loki. "Pretty neat, huh?"

Loki caught the holograph and inspected it closely, mimicking Stark's movements to enlarge the cube. Meanwhile, Tony started pulling up various charts and graphs using his numerous screens. He grabbed some, moving them to a file folder while he balled up others, tossing them away. Loki sat the cube back down on the desk where Stark had got it from, but not before looking over at the genius to ensure that he was placing it in the correct area. Tony gave Loki a nod and went back to researching the Tesseract. Loki walked up behind the mortal and watched him, leaning over his shoulder as he read what was on Tony's screen.

Tony poured over the data for a while, glancing over his shoulder to see Loki watching him. He wasn't used to having company in his lab, and definitely wasn't used to having someone peering over his shoulder as he worked. "Hey look, I think I can make something like the inside energy, but the outer shell is going to be the troublesome part," he said as he turned around to face the god.

Loki nodded curtly as he stepped up next to Tony. "I may be able to assist you with the outer appearance using my magic, but we'll have to work together to make it work." He paused as an idea crossed his mind fleetingly, but his thought process was interrupted by Stark's musings.

"You know, I can't get over how much you and I have in common. It's kinda scary. If mythology is correct, you and I are really are a lot alike. Both of us miss our kids, both have had absolute dicks for fathers; it just blows my mind."

"The myths and legends that you mortals have known do have some truth, but are also fabricated from lies. I rather like them, actually." He smiled again as he placed his hand on Tony's shoulder. "Maybe I'll tell you the real stories some time," he stated.

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_A/N: Sorry if some of the mythology is not correct, I took a few creative liberties in order to make things fit into the plot a bit better. Anyways, thanks for reading! Feel free to review :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Sorry for the wait everyone. I wasn't feeling too well these past few days but wanted to get something up for my lovely readers. I apologize for the shorter length of this chapter; I had more planned out but decided to stop here. I'll incorporate what was supposed to be the rest of this chapter into Chapter Six. :)_

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**Chapter Five**

Tony didn't mind the hand on his shoulder as much as he thought he should. "Yeah, I'd like to hear the truth behind the stories sometime." He gave the god a smile before continuing to pour over the data on the screen in front of him.

"You're quite good at what you do, Stark," Loki stated, taking the liberty to trail his hand down Tony's back as he removed it from his shoulder. "I think I may like working with you." He watched the genius do his thing as he took a seat atop Tony's desk, careful to not knock anything over or out of its proper place.

"I think I'll like working with you, too. It's not easy finding people that can keep up with me when I talk tech. I'm sure you have felt the same about when you talk about your magic," Tony said, his eyes never leaving the screen and his hands never leaving the keyboard.

Loki nodded slightly. "Explaining my magic to a bunch of warrior buffoons is like trying to talk to a brick wall, as you mortals put it."

"JARV, bring up file 25tvh5854 please," Tony asked as he continued to pour over the information in the files.

"Right away, Sir."

Tony paused for merely a second as he reviewed the new data on the screen before he spoke again. "By the way, I'm not oblivious to all the flirting that's been going on today. I just chose to ignore it for awhile," he said as he quickly flashed the god his trademark Stark-grin. "Why me, though? My stellar good looks? My genius mind? I'd ask if it was my money, but I don't think you would care much for wealth, seeing how you're a prince and all." Tony had returned to his work but kept glancing back at Loki every now and then to gauge his reaction.

Loki had continued to watch Stark crunch numbers until he caught his eye again, smirking at his comment. "Oh I was hoping it didn't go unnoticed," he drawled out, eyes gleaming. "I do admire your intellect and your looks, Stark. Simple as that."

Tony finally stopped what he had been doing to turn around and properly look at Loki. "You know, I think it's more than that. You and I, we can recognize things in each other; we just 'get it,'' you know? Our pasts are just so similar yet we continue to handle whatever shit life throws at us. But people like us see past whatever masks we wear- villain, playboy, whatever... To be honest Loki, when I first saw you in my living room I was like 'this is Thor's little brother?'" Tony paused, taking a quick breath. "Before you go ape-shit on me for bringing that up, he's still your brother, maybe not by blood but by bond. Anyways, when I saw you I thought to myself 'Damn, he's hot,' no lie. But enough rambling; my point is I that I guess I like you, too. Simple as that." The billionaire gave Loki a quick grin.

Loki raised an eyebrow, amused at Stark's words. "There may be a bit of truth to those words, Stark..." he said, flashing a grin of his own.

Tony turned back to his screens with a hint of a smile upon his face. "If my calculations are correct, and they always are, we should be able to create the mock energy for the cube in a few days, but we're gonna need the casing if we are going to make this thing convincing."

"I can arrange that." Loki clicked his fingers and a casing identical to the one the original Tesseract had been in materialized before him. Loki sat it down upon Tony's desk and waited.

"Magic, huh? You know Thor said magic and technology are one in the same. Any truth to that? If so, you and me are gonna have a long chat," Tony said as he picked up the case that Loki had conjured just seconds before.

"Thor wouldn't be far off in his statement about science and magic, though there are some key differences between the two. I wouldn't expect the oaf to understand though."

"Well look at that." Tony turned it over and examined it carefully. "JARVIS, scan this and tell me how close the composition is to the original."

"Right away, Sir. I shall have results within an hour."

"Thanks, J," Tony said as he placed the object back down. "Ok then, on to the energy part." Picking up his Starkphone, Tony made a few calls and ordered some things that his lab would need to complete the project. Since he was going to be making a new element again, he needed some new equipment.

Loki watched as Tony bustled about, calling numbers and ordering parts to things he could only imagine. He hopped down off of the desk and walked around Tony's lab, looking at the gadgets and gizmos that littered the place.

Tony hung up the phone and turned to look at his house guest. "So, now we wait. In the meantime, wanna see a movie? You can chose what we watch."

"First you wine me, then you dine me, and now you're inviting me to watch a movie with you? What's next, your bedroom, Stark?" he asked coyly, eyes glimmering all the while.

"I'm flattered; is that where you want to end up, in my bedroom?" Tony gave Loki a roguish grin as he continued his shut-down protocol with JARVIS.

Loki just grinned dangerously back at Stark, letting the question linger in the air. He changed the subject to that of the movie that the genius had invited him to stay and watch. "I am not familiar with your Midgardian movies, Stark, so you can choose the entertainment."

"Oh no, you're smart Rudolph; just look at the title and read the back. I'd rather have you choose for yourself." Tony got up and walked over to the elevator doors, stepping inside when they opened. "Coming?"

"Not at the current moment, no," Loki quipped, flashing a devilish smirk as he walked over to join the billionaire. He stepped in and leaned up against the back wall of the elevator, arms crossed. His smirk remained plastered on to his smooth face. "I don't want to hear any whining if I chose a bad movie, Stark."

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_A/N: As always, thanks for reading! Reviews are always welcome. _


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Again, sorry for the wait! Another short chapter, but only because I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer! As always, thanks for reading, and enjoy!_

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**Chapter Six**

The two men got into the elevator and rode up to the penthouse suite. Tony put his hands up in the air and shook his head as he spoke. "Nope, you'll hear no whining from me; besides, I don't think I own any bad movies, well, unless they're Pepper's and then there might be some bad ones," he said with a chuckle. Shrugging, he continued. "Like I said, you're a smart guy, I have confidence that you'll pick a good one. Oh, one more thing, the movies should be in alphabetical order by the way, please make sure that they stay that way." The elevator doors opened and Tony strode out. He really didn't doubt that Loki would pick a good movie for the two of them to watch. "I'm gonna go make some pop-corn, the one thing I actually can cook without burning," the billionaire said with a grin. "When you find the movie you want, just take it out of the box, press down on the center piece and once it's open, place it plain side down in that." Tony pointed over to the PS4 BlueRay player that was sitting on a shelf on his entertainment center.

Loki just stared at him blankly.

Loki watched as Stark walked off towards the kitchen to go and make pop-corn, 'Whatever that is,' he thought. Stepping out into the open, he strode across to the living room where the movies were located on a vast shelf and began looking through the titles one by one. Every now and then one movie would catch his eye; he'd take it out, read the back, and put it back exactly where he found it. Stark had his quirks, just as Loki had his. 'The mortal's as anal about his object placement as I am with my potions and herbs,' he thought, smirking slightly at the thought. The more he stuck around the mortal, the more he discovered they had in common. Finally settling on a movie titled 'The Princess Bride', he did as Stark had instructed and placed the shiny disk into the black box's slot. He watched as the television screen flickered to life and jumped slightly at the loud sound that followed. "By Odin's beard, Stark, must you have this wretched thing so loud?!"

"Sorry, must have been Clint; he likes watching the action movies as loud as they go. Just tell JARVIS to lower the volume," Tony yelled from the kitchen over the obnoxious sound.

Loki sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "JARVIS, lower the volume so I can once again hear myself think," he stated, placing a hand to his forehead.

Tony popped his head around the corner and looked at the god. "If you're gonna be here, you're gonna have to learn that Jarv pretty much does anything and everything in this house. As long as it's not on a secure server or confidential, you can ask Jarv anything." He went back to watching the pop-corn, making sure it popped evenly and didn't burn, and started melting butter in a separate pot.

Loki walked over and sat down on the couch where Stark had been earlier. "Is he always like this?" he asked the AI as he looked up at the ceiling, feeling somewhat foolish as he did so.

"I'm not quite sure in what manner you speak of Mr..." The AI didn't quite know whether to call Loki Mr. Odinson or Mr. Laufeyson, as he had earlier. "I am sorry Sir, but before I can proceed I would wish to know in what manner you would like to be addressed: Mr. Odinson, Mr. Laufeyson, or something different altogether. I am aware that I had addressed you as Mr. Laufeyson earlier this afternoon, but that was rather presumptuous of me."

Slightly surprised, Loki raised his eyebrows before speaking. "Mr. Laufeyson will suffice. As to the manner in which I was speaking about Mr. Stark, I suppose 'excitable' around guests would be the best way to put it?"

"In that case, Mr. Laufeyson, he behaves that way only to those that he likes. You would know if he did not like his guest. You gave him something to learn from and a project to work on, which places you in a very positive light in his mind. Is the volume sufficient now, Sir?"

The smirk that spread across his face surprised even himself. Shaking it off mentally, he nodded. "Yes, JARVIS. Thank you." Loki put his arms behind his head, crossing them to make a bit of a pillow as he leaned back into the couch more. He could not believe he had just had a conversation with the AI about Stark. The smell of the popcorn wafted into the room, causing Loki to crinkle his nose. It smelled appealing, though he wasn't used to the scent.

Tony finished up the pop-corn and headed out with a large bowl on a tray, complete with different shaker toppings from toffee to three different flavors of cheese. He had also grabbed drinks and ice for them both.

Loki couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Stark carrying the tray with the popcorn, drinks, and flavorings into the room. "I'd ask if you require assistance but I see that you have it covered," he said as he sat upright on the couch.

The genius smiled. "Alright you, the pop-corn is already buttered, but you can add different flavors using these things here," he explained, pointing to the flavored pop-corn salts. "Jarv start the movie, lights to 5%." Sitting down and setting everything on the coffee table before him, he turned to Loki who was on the other side of the couch. "So, what did you pick?"

"I chose a movie called 'The Princess Bride'; it seemed interesting enough," he said with a shrug.

Tony grinned, "You know I don't admit this to many people, but I love that movie. Pep hates it. Go figure..."

"Well it seems that I have been pleasing you all day with my choices, haven't I?"

Tony shrugged it off, "I guess great minds just think alike."

Loki reached forward and picked up a single piece of popcorn and sniffed it before putting it in his mouth. The taste was expected but the texture was not. He ate it with a pleasant crunch and reached forward for more, taking a handful and eating it piece by piece. "This food is unlike anything I've ever had before; we do not have this 'pop-corn' on Asgard."

"Wait, you're telling me that you don't have corn on Asgard?" Tony was shocked. He took a smaller bowl from behind the large one and filled it with some popcorn, adding just a bit of salt without flavoring.

"Corn does grow on Asgard, but this variety is non-existent. Our corn is all different colors, and juicy when eaten, not fluffy and crunchy like this corn."

Tony had to grin; he wasn't sure how to explain the origins of pop-corn without offending his guest. "Well, it's kind of different, we have colored corn as well, and this one I guess is no different than most corns. I don't get into the whole corn genetics thing, but I know it's bred to be pop-corn. In reality though any corn can suffice in a pinch. What you do is dry the corn so that it's nice and hard, then you take it off the cob. Then it can be popped by placing oil or butter or something like it in a pot that is covered, heated, and it just pops and this… this is the result." Tony took a piece and threw it up into the air, catching it in his mouth with ease.

Loki watched him as he spoke, munching on pieces as he listened. "Fascinating, really," he decided on saying, turning away as the previews ended and the movie began. They got about ten minutes into the movie before Loki spoke up. "Stark, I'm not overstaying my unannounced welcome, am I?" he asked, looking over at Tony.

"Huh? No, not really. You really aren't used to being welcomed into homes and staying welcomed, are you?"

"I have a track record and a reputation that precedes me," Loki stated calmly, looking down into his lap.

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_A/N: Please comment/review! 3_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Hey everyone! I'm soooo sorry for the long delay between chapters. A lot is going on in my life right now so this fic kinda took the back burner. I hope I made up for it with this chapter :3 Enjoy!_

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**Chapter Seven**

"JARVIS, pause the movie." Tony sighed in frustration before he turned to look at Loki. "Well you are welcome here. We all have done something that isn't good, or nice, and in my opinion, everyone deserves a second chance, or at least a chance to be heard on the reasons behind something that they did. Some things had happened to me- you can ask JARVIS about that, seeing how I'm not that good at talking about it. I was known as the 'Merchant of Death' by many across the world because I designed and built weapons. These weapons, my weapons, probably killed tens of thousands of people, including innocent people and soldiers. I changed after what had happened to me though; I chose to let my anger and pain fuel me to do better and better myself. After I returned home, I was betrayed by a father figure. Hell, he even took my arc reactor out of my chest, not even caring that it would kill me. He wanted me dead because he wanted my company. He was selling my weapons to the enemy. My point is that I wasn't that great of a person before. So yeah, you're welcome here. I understand what it's like to be considered a disappointment, or a screw up. Ever since I was 4 years old, I've been in the public eye, so I guess in a way here on Earth, or Midgard as you call it, I would be considered almost like royalty, too. One must act a certain way and all that hoopla. I didn't so I get it, birds of a feather and all that. So no, you're not wearing out your welcome and you know what? Fuck your preceding reputation. By the way, you're forgiven for tossing me out of my window, as well as for trying to take control of my tower. I think now I understand why you did what you did, Loki. You never wanted to rule; instead, you made as much noise as you could and put yourself out there in a huge way because you wanted attention; you're a diva. It was a warning, a plea for help wasn't it?"

Loki's jaw was nearly on the floor by the time Stark had finished talking. He had gone through a range of emotions as he listened, bristling in anger as he recalled Odin's lies and treachery, recalling how lost and alone he had felt in that moment when he found out his true heritage. He felt the remorse at the things he had done on Midgard, to New York, and now, to Stark especially. His hands had curled up, clenched into fists every now and then as he listened, and relaxed once more after realizing that Stark really did care about him, as JARVIS had told him earlier. Loki glanced over at Stark, a small, sad smile upon his face. "Thank you, Anthony. You... you're probably the first being to ever understand me," he said as he looked back down and began to fidget with the hem of his shirt.

Tony saw the range of emotions play across Loki's face and suddenly everything made sense. "Well, since you know that you feel remorse, you can do what I did and turn your life around. Use that feeling and your anger to fuel you to do better, but don't let it blind you. You're smart, like, scary smart, and that's saying something coming from me; I am a genius after all." Tony winked at the god to try to get him to relax a bit before he continued talking. "We both had shitty fathers that we both wanted to impress, but remember that hindsight is twenty-twenty, so don't beat yourself up over things too terribly. You can do better, be better; you can be the person you want to be, the person that we both know you really are inside."

Tony took a moment to pause and then scooted over closer to the god and put his finger to Loki's chest. "The person in here, he's not a bad guy. He's just hurt and has no idea how to let that hurt show. God knows I needed someone to tell me this when I got back from my ordeal." He scooted closer still and without hesitation, wrapped Loki in a hug.

Loki couldn't look Tony in the eye for a long time; he was out of his element here. This was new to him, opening up and showing his emotions- Thor did that, not him. No, never Loki. The god tensed when Stark placed his arms around him, not expecting the contact, but relaxed with a heavy sigh and returned the gesture.

"If Pep and Rhodey hadn't been there for me I'd have lost it, too. Hell, you can ask Jarv for the footage of my Mark I's initial run in the desert if you really want to see everything. Understand though that what I did I am not proud of, but it's done and over with and I can't change it. We can never change the past, but we can always move forward. I am more than happy to help," Tony said, pulling back to look at the god. What he saw caused him to pause for a moment.

"Hey Loki, random question, but have your eyes always been that green?"

Loki looked at the billionaire now, seeing a lot of himself in the man who sat before him. His eyebrows shot up at the question of his eye color, wondering what Stark was getting at.

Tony furrowed his brow before asking JARVIS to pull up the footage from The New York Incident, where Loki was in the tower. JARVIS displayed it on the window behind them. Tony's brow furrowed deeper as he reviewed the recording. "Loki, your eyes are more of a blueish color here, like Clint's were. You were being controlled, weren't you? Maybe not as much as Clint, but you were being controlled, right?" He turned to look at the god who was still sitting silently on the couch.

"They have always been this shade of green, except for when The Other and The Mad Titan had me in their clutches," he said, anger and utter hatred in his tone as he named the monsters that had tortured and controlled him. "I had never been so beaten, so broken, as I was when he owned me. I vowed to never allow myself to get to that point again."

Tony looked at Loki and saw a very lonely soul, one that desperately needed real friends and people who would just shut up and listen and believe him instead of judging him. "Well, I'm going to make sure that you never are captured by them- or anyone else- again. We will put our massive intellect together and trick the fuckers that did that to you. No one has the right to do that to another being...no one." He decided to do something he knew Fury would kill him for. "I assume you don't have many places to go since you're supposed to be dead and all, so I want you to know that you are welcome in the tower; you can even have your own floor." He looked back at the footage JARVIS was playing and noticed Thor and Loki fighting. Something stirred within Tony, angering him. "Also, that brother of yours and I are gonna have a long chat the next time I see him. He should have known you better and defended you and been there for you; I know that he means well and that he loves you but he should have _known_!"

"Thor only saw what he wanted to see; he never truly saw my pain and didn't believe me when I told him about Odin's lies, about how I was the spawn of Laufey, saved to merely make a peace between two realms..." His fists were clenched again.

"Thor can be an idiot, a big, huge, blue-eyed and blond puppy dog, but an idiot. Like I said, the two of us are gonna have a long talk, and it's not gonna be pretty for him.." Tony gave Loki a wink after that, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Loki paused for a moment, taking in everything that had just transpired between him and Stark. "Maybe I _can_ change things around, Stark. Will you help me?" he asked, reaching out and placing a hand on Tony's shoulder.

Tony knew when people were lying to him; he had enough experience with people lying to him in the past, enough that he was never going to fall for another lie, ever. What Loki had said and asked for was sincere, and Tony couldn't help but agree to help him. "Yeah, I'll help you. I had people there to help me, so I will do the same for you. And if your dad- Odin, whatever the fuck you want to call him- comes looking for you, he or whoever he sends are going to be met with a team of Tony Stark's finest lawyers, and maybe an Iron Man suit or two. Something tells me that you never did get a fair trial up in Asgard. We have already been told that your 'punishment' wasn't up to us, which was bullshit if you ask me. Anyway, I figure that if we have to, we will go to Asgard or wherever and make things right. I've got your back now, no lie, no joke. I know a few others that would be on your side if they knew the truth, too. Somehow, I'm not buying the whole 'god of lies' spiel, it's more like 'the god that's been lied to'. So, we're gonna fix it. For now though, just forget everything, relax, and let's enjoy this fine piece of cinema." Tony smiled, sitting back down on the couch to continue watching The Princess Bride. He turned to Loki for a brief moment, resting his hand on the god's knee. "Just try not to worry about it, Loki. I honestly have your back on this."

Loki smiled his first real, genuine smile for the first time in years. "Thank you, Anthony. For the first time in my long, long life, I think I can honestly say that I have found a friend, and more than that, a friend that I can trust entirely." He leaned forward and gave Stark a kiss on the cheek, which in Asgard was viewed as a sincere gesture between friends, regardless of gender. Loki forgot that he wasn't in Asgard anymore.

Tony smiled as well, though the kiss was a bit of a shock. He figured out the reason behind it in no time though; it was meant as a genuine gesture of friendship, after all, friends kissed each others' cheeks all the time. "I trust you too, Loki. I think that I'm getting to see the real you, and you are quite likable. Once the truth about what happened gets out, the world is gonna love you, too."

Loki smiled as Stark spoke. "You're quite likable yourself, Stark," he said as he turned back towards the screen.

Tony turned back to the paused movie, but not before taking Loki's hand and giving it a quick squeeze. It was meant to be similar to the friendship-kiss thing that Loki had given him, a way of showing support. "Ok Jarv, you can play the movie again."

When Loki felt Tony's hand upon his own, he looked down at it and then up at Tony, who was already engulfed in the movie again. "I liked that," he said quietly. He couldn't help but notice that Stark had remained by his side, instead of going back to his original spot on the other end of the couch. The thought made him smile slightly as he reached out for another handful of popcorn, finally feeling at ease for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

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_A/N: Thank you for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting! You guys are amazing 3 I'll try to have another chapter up soon!_


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